The T20 World Cup 2026 is off to a great start with some awesome games. One of the highlights was the South Africa vs Canada match on February 9, 2026. It happened at the big Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. South Africa, who were runners-up last time, kicked off strong with a solid 57-run win over Canada. This South Africa vs Canada game showed how strong the Proteas are compared to teams still growing, but Canada put up a good fight. 

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with 20 teams in four groups. South Africa is in Group D with Canada, Scotland, Italy, and a few others. They were the favorites here. Canada got in through the Americas qualifier and wanted to shine, but South Africa’s team, led by captain Aiden Markram, was tough. Canada won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to keep South Africa from scoring big on a fair pitch. The weather was a bit smoky with temperatures around 22°C, which made things interesting.

South Africa’s Strong Batting

South Africa batted first and made 213/4 in 20 overs. That’s a big score! The openers, Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock, started well, scoring 65 runs in the first six overs without losing a wicket. Markram was on fire, hitting his fifty in just 28 balls with eight fours and a six. He scored 59 off 32 balls, mixing nice shots with smart plays.

De Kock added 25 off 22 balls, and they put on 70 runs together before he got out in the seventh over. Then Ryan Rickelton came in and added 56 runs with Markram. Rickelton made 33 off 21 with three fours and a six. But Canada’s Ansh Patel got busy, taking three quick wickets: Markram in the 12th over, Rickelton in the 13th, and Dewald Brevis (who made just 6) right after. That left South Africa at 138/4. But David Miller and Tristan Stubbs turned it around with an unbeaten 75-run stand at the end.

Miller smashed 39 not out off 23 with one four and three sixes, and Stubbs hit 34 not out off 19 with two fours and two sixes. They went wild in the last overs. Extras added 17 runs too. They reached 50 in 4.3 overs, 100 in 9.5, 150 in 14.4, and 200 in 19.2. There was a slow over-rate penalty at the end, but it didn’t stop them.

Here’s the batting table for South Africa:

Fall of wickets: 1-70 (de Kock, 6.5 ov), 2-126 (Markram, 11.3 ov), 3-137 (Rickelton, 13.1 ov), 4-138 (Brevis, 13.5 ov).

Canada’s bowlers tried hard. Ansh Patel was the star with 3/31 in four overs. But others leaked runs: Kaleem Sana (0/38), Dilpreet Bajwa (1/40), and Jaskaran Singh (0/49). Saad Bin Zafar and Dilon Heyliger didn’t get wickets and went for a lot.

Canada’s bowling table:

South Africa’s big total put Canada under pressure to chase 214.

Canada’s Brave Chase

Canada started chasing, but it went bad fast. Captain Dilpreet Bajwa got out for zero on the first ball to Lungi Ngidi. Yuvraj Samra hit 12 off 8 with three fours but got out in the third over. Nicholas Kirton made 4, then Ngidi got him too. Shreyas Movva scored 9 off 11, but by the end of the powerplay, they were 50/4. Tough spot!

Navneet Dhaliwal fought back with 64 off 49 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. He and Harsh Thaker (33 off 29 with two fours and two sixes) added 69 runs for the fifth wicket, getting to 114/5 by the 15th over. But they needed to run more quickly. Saad Bin Zafar made 11 off 12, Jaskaran Singh 0 off 1, both out to Marco Jansen in a row. Dilon Heyliger got 4 off 5, and Kaleem Sana 5 not out off 3. They ended at 156/8 with 14 extras.

They hit 50 in 5.6 overs, 100 in 13.2, and 150 in 18.6. Dhaliwal’s fifty came in 39 balls, which was cool, but the early wickets hurt too much.

Canada’s batting table:

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Bajwa, 0.1 ov), 2-22 (Samra, 2.3 ov), 3-26 (Kirton, 2.6 ov), 4-45 (Movva, 5.4 ov), 5-114 (Thaker, 14.2 ov), 6-133 (Zafar, 17.1 ov), 7-133 (Singh, 17.2 ov), 8-150 (Dhaliwal, 19.1 ov).

South Africa’s bowlers rocked it. Lungi Ngidi got Player of the Match with 4/31 in four overs. He wrecked the top order. Marco Jansen took 2/30, Kagiso Rabada 1/40, Corbin Bosch 1/27, and Keshav Maharaj 0/28, but kept it tight.

South Africa’s bowling table:

Lungi Ngidi’s four wickets were huge; he got Player of the Match and top points on Cricinfo. He swung the ball and pressured in the early overs, where Canada lost four for 50. Aiden Markram’s 59 set things up, and Miller and Stubbs’ 75 in the last bit turned it into a winner.

For Canada, Navneet Dhaliwal’s 64 was awesome against tough bowlers. Ansh Patel’s 3/31 showed he’s got skills as a spinner. But starting badly and not turning the strike over in the middle cost them. It shows Canada needs better batting against fast bowlers.

On social media like X, people were talking. Star Sports said, “Canada tried hard, but South Africa was too good.” Another post called it a “big statement” by South Africa. Fans loved Ngidi’s spell.

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Final Words!

The South Africa vs Canada game in the T20 World Cup 2026 was a blast, showing South Africa’s strength and Canada’s spirit. With these real stats, it’s clear the Proteas dominated all around. This sets up a fun tournament. As South Africa keeps winning, we can’t wait for more. Cricket connects countries, and matches like this make the game bigger.